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Dodge Caliber Changes You'd Like To See
Ever find yourself thinking, I just wish the Caliber had...
Well this is the place to let us know what improvements you would make to the Caliber to make it even better!
Well this is the place to let us know what improvements you would make to the Caliber to make it even better!
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Comments
For me, I thought $17,890. was no real bargin and with no rebates, and no Farm Bureau rebate I said no thanks. We then took a test in the new Nissan Versa. It was $14,600. and had the biggest back seat with plenty of room for you feet of any compact car and even some big cars, it was better than the Caliber, except for interior room.
One thing that DCX has to deal with is Ford has a 5 year 60,000 mile no deductable warranty. The 3 year 36,000 mile DCX has needs to be
Hopefully in the 2008 Model Year!
I'd also like to see an All Wheel Drive SRT Model.
http://www.carpages.ca/go/roadtest/2007_dodge_caliber_road_test.aspx
The back roof should not be tapered down. Front headroom is almost too much(unless one is very long torsoed), while back headroom is quite a bit less. A non-tapered back roof would also allow more glass & rearward visibility.
More space efficiency is needed. There is far too much fore & aft space in the console between the firewall & the driver's instrument panel. Space is wasted also with the stepped hatchback above the rear bumper, plus the overly raked rear window. With a redesign of the rear, the rear window wiper could be enlarged to clean a much larger area of rear glass for greater visibility safety. With an extensive space efficiency campaign, the Caliber could be reduced in size & weight with a comparable decrease in engine size making for further decreases in weight & size with little space sacrificed to humans or cargo.
rear blindspots with convex 1-1/2 inch mirrors on the side
mirrors and a large panoramic(slightly convex) on the inside
rearview mirror.
The styling is one of the major factors in my buying the
Caliber,if the size,mid range fuel economy and look at me
style were not present I could have a Ford Focus wagon or some other plain jane box.
Just my opinion as a biased extremely satisfied Caliber
owner.
found the tilt plus seat movement resolved this concern
when I was test driving the first few Calibers before
buying a SXT.
I would hazard a guess that someone who has out of"norm"
body proportions (heel to waist say) could have genuine
problem without telescopic steering column.
2.0 as an option with the stick shift, included with the SXT package;
PZEV emissions in the green states (where I live - it's not just better for the environment, the cat converter and a lot of other emission parts are then covered for 150,000 miles).
ABS standard - the more I think about it, although studies don't see a safety benefit from ABS (due to operator mis-use - taking the foot off the brakes when it pulsates) this is a matter of education, not the equipment. Every time it rains out here I get nervous not having ABS, and I don't see how those of you in the snow states can live without it.
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/safety.aspx?year=2007&make=Dodge&model=Caliber-
1. Either some sort of light over the back seat or a switch to turn the rear interior light on. It is so dark at night in the back seat, the kids can't find their seat belt buckles very well.
2. I agree with the door and center console armrests being too hard.
3. I agree with the lack of need for a glove box air conditioner.
4. It's hard to fit almost any size cup/bottle in the center console's second cup holder when the armrest is slid forward...much less how hard it is to get anything out of it.
5. I agree with the blind spots, both at the front A pillars and at the back C or D pillars. They are a bit big, but I've gotten used to them.
6. I like the hard plastic/rubberized interior surfaces for looks, but they are very hard to clean. Anyone come up with a good way or material to clean the textured plastic?
7. It would be nice to have a spare tire mounted with the valve stem facing up so I can check the pressure without taking the whole thing out.
8. I noticed this past winter that when I have the heat blower on my feet only, I can't hardly feel anything. After I get twenty minutes away to work from home, it finally starts to feel warmer, but there is no noticeable air flow on the floor like there is coming out of the vents when the dial is pointed there. Related: when the dial is set to blow on my feet only (not feet and defrost), why is there so much noise coming from the defroster area of the dashboard?
9. The computer won't let me select recirculate on the HVAC when I have the heat on. I realize this is supposed to keep my windows clear by keeping the humidity down, but shouldn't that be my choice? In my old car ('94 saturn sl2), when it was recirculating, the heat was a whole lot warmer a whole lot faster.
10. What are we supposed to use to protect the black plastic trim on the outside of the vehicle in leiu of wax, like the body?
11. I would like to see a strap or handle on the liftgate to make closing it easier.
12. The seatbelt for the center occupant in the back seat is awkward to run over the back of the seat from the rear of the car...especially when somedays I have things to haul/carry and then need to transport kids.
13. How about a better wiper on the back window? Mine just streaks and I can't find better branded wipers in that length (seven inches, I think).
14. A central door lock/unlock button on the front passenger door would be nice. Sometimes I need to open that door to get something out and would like to be able to press a button right there instead of using the batteries of my key fob.
15. I'd like more bolstering on the front seats.
16. How about outside mirrors that fold or break away. I've had my Caliber for just over a year and my driver side mirror got smashed (vandalized) already. It might not have been so bad if it had folded when they hit it or if I had it folded in so it would have been less likely to have gotten hit. It was only $66 to get replaced, though.
17. There are two trays on the center console that are all but unusable. I can't even get my hand down to the one on the passenger side of the console, much less get anything to stay in it (coins, I assume is what it was meant for). The one up next to the gear selector could be deeper to hold more coins and somehow needs better access-I have a hard time getting my hand in that one, too.
18. Why don't cars have the parking brake lever on the floor like they used to, instead of taking up console space? If it were moved to the floor, there might be enough room to have more storage in the console bin and/or have the cupholders side-by-side and provide a little more room for the two awkward trays.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Caliber. But, it is brand new and has a few kinks that could be worked out to make a whole lot more people more satisfied to own/drive one and for more people to choose to buy/lease one.
Yes pillars are big,too big.
11. I would like to see a strap or handle on the liftgate to make closing it easier.- We just got a Honda CR-V and the liftgate on that is amazingly light.It's one of the things my wife hates about the Caliber compared to her car.
* Remote rear door/trunk release. I'm ambivalent about it being on the keyfob but it'd be nice to have it near the driver's seat.
* Tachometer isn't available on SE w/CVT. This makes zero sense to me given the importance of RPM with the CVT -- I'd say that it should at least be an option for the 2.0 upgrade on the SE. And come on, it's not that much more expensive.
* Master power lock control on the front passenger door.
Things I'd like to see changed:
* AFAIK there's no good reason for the HUGE amount of space between the console and the windshield. A smaller windshield that will take a Wal*Mart sun visor would be wonderful; and just angling it differently will keep it from becoming a visibility problem.
* At least one storage area with a door, easily accessible from the driver's seat. I've had my sunglass case go flying more than once.
* Please, please, please don't force the CVT into economy mode at 20 mph. It plays havoc in stop-and-go traffic.
* Automatic door locks when the car is taken out of neutral/park as opposed to 15 mph. I manually lock mine when pulling through dark parking lots.
* I'll echo the comment about the cup holders being impossible to reach with the armrest extended. Having them that low also has caused me problems.
* Body color moldings instead of that black stuff.
I'll also echo the comments about the Chill Zone being a neat little toy but certainly not all that.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Caliber, but no car is perfect and this one (like any other) has room for improvement.
wishes/needs in a new car.
1.-Remote release for hatch,the lock switch on door
next to driver.
2.-If you have not had your dash apart then you
can't appreciate all the bits and pieces crammed
between you and the windshield.
3.-Unless your are short in arm length then either
the glovebox or storage above it is where I keep
my glasses.I would like either to lockable.
Good point with regards to the door locks and
the cup holders.
Bodyside mouldings don't bother me as my Caliber
is black and again I agree about chillzone,
it sort of works but not a biggee for me.
2. Lockable glove box.
3. Parking brake lever on floor.
4. Something else for the rear middle seatbelt.
5. A reverse light on the dash - Have a 5-spd, half the time when I think it's in reverse, it's in 4th. A light on the dash would let me know for sure it's in reverse before I let out the clutch.
3 - I'm not particularly short, 5'6", and from the driver's seat must lean over far enough to open the glove box that I can just barely still see the road (a shorter dash would have solved this). Doing so is obviously a Very Bad Idea while the car is in motion. So my sunglasses live in the area above the radio. I also keep a keyfob in the car because I routinely park in a restricted-access garage. That'd get hopelessly lost in a huge glove box, so there is an advantage to small little storage areas.
As I said, I'm nitpicking. I'm happy with my Caliber.
yes ...yes the parking brake lever should be on floor- :confuse: awkward place- duh
power seats- have bad arthritis n that- very hard to reach n... keep changin the place of it- from previous drivers-
am 5'2 - husband is .. 5'9...
no leg room in back of when he is driving.
WE did have a dodge grand caravan05- stow away seats- traded :lemon: it for this.
altho- def. have no complaints on the $$ it has saved us for the - gas...
we travel about ... 20hrs or so- in BC.
With the van- it cost us a whopping - 180 one way.
now it costs us- like ... 80 one way!
tru too- about side mirrors- should be able to FOLD in- when needed.
fix'n or even awknowledging the many many complaints about the ...BLIND SPOTS!!
i try put in many letters bout this- cuz they seem to say --- EACH n everytime that they do not get any other ...similar problems being reported... sigh
i am laways terrified coming up to intersections.
too many times I get --- hands shakin at me- or terrified pedestrians...
sum- seem to pop up outta nowhwere... run in front of me
the psgr side has no control of windows- are evn blocked from opening the windows or closing unless driver does that.
yes it is good- when you have kids- but c'mon...
DRIVER already has ...to keep eyes on roads- not the window control.
my main complaint is about the ... service and the tone that I get.
Seems to me- they want me to think that i am the ONLY one that has these complaints.
** I would like to see a strap or handle on the liftgate to make closing it easier.
** ahhh that also would have tendency of gettin ...caught- dirty... in the way- no?
seats are uncomfy on long trips.
again- have bad arthritis.../ fibromyalgia... n lupus- LUCKY ME huh haha
so this is not good- as I said I take long trips- that are about... anywhere between 17-20hrs one way
ya when we went to the dealer- he said yes there is ... cruiz control- on them.
none has it
DODGE- are not good ppl to deal with. am not happy... dont get me wrong lmao
yup- dont get me wrong- an UNHAPPY dodge customer.
if i bring it in- beinga lease- how much are they gonna freakin run up my milage??
using it- up- i saw one time- nuther vehicle ownner sayin just that- that they had to elave it in shop- (was not dodge) jus making comment for you to keep eye on your ... KMs as you drop it off for servicing...
NICE lookin vehicle- NAWT talkin bout CALIBERS...lol --- sum1 will need your kool ride for a hunny that needs to be impressed....lol
Anyhooooo - not a fan of dodge reps.
A real roof rack with adjustable crossbars that can be set to nearly the entire entire length of the roof. Something capable of hauling say a 17-foot canoe or kayak. Now add some real tie-down points front and back to better sescure the boat to the top of the car.
This isn't rocket science. Just build a FUNCTIONAL car. But I guess the guys in the design department would rather give us extras like illuminated cup holders or air conditioned glove compartments. What BONEHEADS!!!!!
changer I would say there is a possibility that youe evaporater drain
hose is blocked/pinched.
The hose drains out just below the gas pedal and there have been
several posts about it but usually you also can detect dampness
at floor level under the carpet.
It's apparently a Dodge design flaw.
if it was indeed the reason for the original post"humidity/cd changer"
there would droves of posts regarding it.
The crux of the matter is the fact that that under certain locality conditions
the evaporeter does not dry sufficiently when you turn the car off with AC/Defrost
cycle running or just terminated.This usually results in a musty smell upon start
up again and you solution to "run the fan" will help eleviate this complaint.
The amount of humidity needed to effect the changer which is designed/built
with average humidity parameters would in my opinion require that the evap
collection/drainage system is not working and Chrysler needs to get it's act
together and solve this owners problem
Odd thing is that my husbands CD player didn't work from start up, it had been sitting over night with no AC/Defrost running. I wonder where the condensation came from in that case?
I would imagine we'd see more posts about this issue but it's hard to say how many owners use their CD players vs the radio or satellite, and how many use them in the perfect conditions to duplicate the issue. I know if it were happening to my vehicle I would never know because I use XM in my Dodge.
by an assembly line worker could be the cause or again poor sealing
of the cowl/dash area on the assembly line which has been the subject
of a few posts on the net,irregardless it's not right and should be addressed
to each owners satisfaction.